As someone who has ridden 2.2 and 2.3s from 15+years ago, and from the last two years...yes. I have a 26" frame that would fit a 2.3 conti and wtb fine back then, but if the volume of those tires were the same as what I run on my 27.5 soul then the wheel would not move.
Case in point, when i first built the bike in 2014/15 I had a 26" bike with 2.3 wtbs that were the widest tires I had ridden up to that point. I was a fan of Geax/Vittoria casings so i found one of those in 2.2 that looked good. Set everything up and thought "man those look big"...after digging out my calipers and measuring i found the new tires to be a healty 2-3mm wider at the casing. When i moved to e13 tires a few years later i couldn't believe how wide the were!
Modern tires are one of the unsung heros of the last decade, I know they have changed my riding a ton...and plus definitely helped. They at least got everyone on the same page sizing wise. We are a long way from Porcupines and Darts!
March 15, 2022, 3:39 a.m. - Bikeryder85
As someone who has ridden 2.2 and 2.3s from 15+years ago, and from the last two years...yes. I have a 26" frame that would fit a 2.3 conti and wtb fine back then, but if the volume of those tires were the same as what I run on my 27.5 soul then the wheel would not move. Case in point, when i first built the bike in 2014/15 I had a 26" bike with 2.3 wtbs that were the widest tires I had ridden up to that point. I was a fan of Geax/Vittoria casings so i found one of those in 2.2 that looked good. Set everything up and thought "man those look big"...after digging out my calipers and measuring i found the new tires to be a healty 2-3mm wider at the casing. When i moved to e13 tires a few years later i couldn't believe how wide the were! Modern tires are one of the unsung heros of the last decade, I know they have changed my riding a ton...and plus definitely helped. They at least got everyone on the same page sizing wise. We are a long way from Porcupines and Darts!